Archive for the 'Leland Yee' Category

State Sen. Leland Yee’s bill stemming from the infamous Richmond gang rape case has moved out of the Senate Public Safety Committee with a 6-0 vote.

The bill would require those who have witnessed someone under the age of 18 being raped, murdered or sexually molested to report it to authorities. This requirement currently extends only to victims under the age of 14.

“Ironically, California statute currently requires any person who, while hunting, kills or wounds a domestic animal to report the incident to authorities; yet all children are not provided the same protection,” Yee, D-San Francisoc, said in a statement. “While SB 840 will not solve all of our problems regarding violent crime, it is certainly another important tool in the tool box for law enforcement and prosecutors.”

“The passing of Senator Kennedy is a loss for his family, our nation and the political process itself. Born to a family of power and privilege, Senator Kennedy never stopped working for the least of society. He wore his passion on his sleeve and never cared about the politically expedient route or whom he might upset if the cause he was championing was what was best for Americans. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, in particular my colleague Congressman Patrick Kennedy. I’ll say an extra prayer tonight for the future health of decorum and cooperation at every level of the political process. While no one was more true to his progressive roots, Ted Kennedy was able to forge coalitions and work with his opponents better than any lawmaker in our history. All of us in public life should remember what Senator Kennedy taught us: There is no weakness in working with those with whom we disagree and no virtue in refusing to listen to opposing points of view. His courage is an inspiration to me and his wisdom and leadership will be sorely missed.”

Rep. Anna Eshoo:

“The nation lost a great patriot and I lost a dear friend. Senator Kennedy inspired me to serve in public office, and his wise counsel and steadfast support has sustained me throughout my public and personal life.

“His courage through tragedy and record of legislative accomplishments is unsurpassed in modern American history. I join my constituents and people around the world in remembering him and praying for his beloved family.”

State Sen. Leland Yee:

“Like many Americans who share his principles and as someone who benefited from his efforts, I feel a deep personal sadness at the passing of Senator Ted Kennedy. We have lost one of our greatest champions for universal health care, civil rights and education. We have lost a fierce warrior and an iconic voice for immigrants, women, the disabled and working families. He was the moral standard for generations of lawmakers, and his influence went far beyond Massachusetts, the halls of Congress, and even the borders of our nation. For decades, Ted Kennedy, like his brothers, ‘saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it.’ It will take all of us to carry forward the torch that Senator Kennedy so proudly and courageously held for so many years. As we continue the work, the cause, the hope and the dream, his legacy lives forever. My thoughts go out to the Kennedy family and to all Americans on our common loss.”

Rep. Jackie Speier and state Sen. Leland Yee have issued statements in response to the California Supreme Court’s ruling on Prop. 8.

Speier:

“I am disappointed in the decision by the California Supreme Court but not surprised. ‘Equal protection under the law’ is the most basic of our constitutional rights, yet history has shown that it never occurs without a fight. Marriage equality will happen soon enough, but only if those of us who care deeply about the issue continue to educate our neighbors that this is not about special rights, but simple fairness.”

Yee:

“A year ago, our Supreme Court reaffirmed the highest ideals of our republic. Today, it is only Justice Moreno in his dissent who now stands on the right side of history. Proposition 8 and the decision reached by the Court today weaken our Constitution. All minorities could now be at risk of losing fundamental rights by the will of the majority — a concept completely counter to the equal protection clause.

“For far too long, our nation has unfairly allowed state-sanctioned discrimination. We must not stop this effort until all loving relationships and all families are fully recognized with the rights, privileges, and joys of marriage.”

Following Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s recent “Conan the Barbarian” routine, when he vetoed more than one-third of the bills that landed on his desk, we thought it would be worthwhile to see how our local legislators made out amid the carnage.

Here are the tallies for San Mateo County’s five state legislators, provided by their offices:

Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, D-San Francisco
Status — Severely wounded

Ma, whose 12th District includes parts of the North County, including Colma and Daly City, had nine bills signed into law. Nine were vetoed.

Among her successes was a measure dubbed Bright Schools that’s designed in part to make it easier for schools to install solar panels. Among the vetoes? A bill that would have prohibited “the commercial display of human remains” — in shows like “Body Works,” which features skinless corpses in athletic poses — “without the documented informed consent from the deceased or next-of-kin.”